ment the McRae came into collision with her on the port quarter, knocking a large hole in her, and causing her partially to fill. By this time, the Cincinnati had turned round, and the hostile craft struck her again on the starboard side, and was in time to receive a second broadside that seemed to lift the foe out of the water. One of the rams, the Van Dorn, was now within a few yards of the Cincinnati, and though fired at and struck, still came on swiftly, and came into collision with the Union boat exactly between the rudders. The Mound City, lying just above the Cincinnati, saw the danger of her companion, and steamed down to her aid. The enemy was preparing to fire the bow gun of the McRae, when the Mound City struck the cannon with a shell and dismounted it, rendering it useless. This attracted the attention of the Sumter, a second ram, and caused her to run toward the new-comer. The Mound City gave her two broadsides before she reached the gunboat, but still she pursued her rapid way, and struck the bow with great force, making a great hole, through which the water ran in streams. The Sumter took advantage of the vessel's condition, and was on the point of running into her again, when the Benton opened upon the foe with a broadside, knocking off a number of her cotton bales, and making the splinters fly in every direction. pick off our officers, as they might easily have done at a very short range. Generally, not a man was visible on the decks, and the muskets and rifles of the rebels were discharged with entire security, as they supposed, from behind their unyielding breastwork. Whenever the McRae or the rams were within a few yards of the gunboats, volley after volley of muskets and rifles would be heard among the cotton, and the balls rattled like hail on the chimneys, against the sides and pilot-houses of the vessels. One of the seamen on the Cincinnati said there must have been four hundred infantry on the McRae's decks, and probably the rams had proportionate numbers. Still, the musketry was often very slight after the broadsides had opened upon them-showing that the infantry must either have been placed hors du combat or been too panic-stricken to fire. "After the McRae had struck the Cincinnati twice with her prow, Captain Roger N. Stembel ordered his crew to prepare themselves to receive boarders, supposing the enemy on their next approach would make such an attempt. The seamen immediately armed themselves with pikes, revolvers, cutlasses, and hand-grenades, and waited for the near approach of the enemy. The schooner-rigged craft again went rapidly toward the gunboat, and the captain, catching a glimpse of the pilot, called for a rifle, and when within twenty yards of the ram fired, and saw the pilot fall. At this time the Cincinnati's pilot observed a rebel on the McRae leveling a gun at the captain, and gave him warning. Stembel perceived the fellow, and started toward the pilot-house; but before he could get behind it the enemy fired, and the ball, entering his right shoulder, passed through his body and went out at his throat. The captain fell, and was supposed to be dead; but being picked up and carried below, it was discovered he was conscious, and only badly wounded. In the hour of pain and peril the gallant "The hostile gunboats were all this while lying near the Tennessee shore, and firing every few minutes, but without manifesting any intention of getting into close contact. At the same time the At the same time the guns at Fort Pillow threw shells and shot over the point, and we saw them alight in the river or burst in the air, half a mile at least from where any of our vessels lay. The McRae, Van Dorn and Sumter were all protected by bales of cotton, and behind them were stationed companies of sharpshooters, part of them probably Jeff. Thompson's followers, who had been stationed there to INCIDENTS OF THE ENGAGEMENT. captain thought more of his vessel than of himself, and was constantly asking if the enemy were repulsed, and declaring that his pain was more mental than physical. The McRae, for some reason, had dropped down the stream, as if she was about to abandon her purpose; but a few minutes after she again steamed toward the Cincinnati, and was within half a length of her, when the Benton, which had gone nearer, once more fired a broadside. One or more of the shells must have pierced the boilers of the rebel, for an explosion was heard, and the boat was covered with steam; while shouts, shrieks, and groans were heard on her deck, as of men in agony, and some were seen to leap on the bales of cotton, apparently frantic with pain. Again the queer craft dropped away, and as the Benton was on the point of firing once more, the rebel flag was struck, and Captain Phelps gave orders to molest her no further. She gave signs of sinking, and floating with the current until the engine was reversed, when she quickened her speed. There was no more harm or heart in her, that was certain; but while she was passing below the Point, seeing she was out of danger, she ran up her soiled bunting again, and, reeling heavily to the larboard, passed out of sight. The Cincinnati was now unmanageable, and taking water very fast, and it was feared in the deep portion of the river where the fight had occurred she might be lost. The little tug Dauntless, which had been from the first in the midst of the action, steamed up to the crippled vessel, and taking her in tow, carried her over toward the Tennessee shore, above where the Benton lay. When Captain Stembel heard the hostile craft was beaten off, he seemed much easier, and said he did not care how soon he expired; and in a few minutes fell into a comatose state, and so remained for two hours. "A minute perhaps before the McRae received the shot through her boilers, 447 Lieutenant William Hoel, acting executive officer of the Cincinnati, and a resident of that city (this officer has distinguished himself by his gallantry on various occasions since the flotilla left Cairo, having volunteered to act as first master of the Carondolet when that vessel ran the blockade at Island No. 10), believing the boat was sinking, told the men never to strike their colors, but to meet their fate bravely, and when they saw her going down to give three cheers for the Stars and Stripes. Fortunately the gallant Cincinnati and her brave crew did not go down. If she had, Lieutenant Hoel's instructions would have been obeyed to the letter, and the noble sailors would have descended to their watery graves with the seal and satisfaction of patriotism upon their lips. The McRae having retired from the action, a second ram, the Van Dorn, went to the assistance of the Sumter in attacking the Mound City, and had already struck her in the side, when the guns of the Mound City and the bow pieces of the Benton, fairly riddled her, and Captain A. H. Kilty, who was pacing the deck with a gun, had shot a person whom he believed was her commander. The Sumter had no further appetite for the engagement, and the Van Dorn, which had been shot through and through, became anxious to vent its wrath upon a couple of the mortar-boats, Captain Gregory's, lying near the shore. The Van Dorn had one long gun, nearly concealed, on the bow, and with this she shot through the iron of one of the mortars. The mortar crews were in no wise daunted. They leveled their mortars, and, though there was no prospect of hitting an object but a few hundred yards distant, they sent their great shell at her, and it went roaring miles away in the direction of Tennessee. Two or three rebels leaped on cotton bales, and with fierce denunciation of the Yankees, and with mighty oaths, fired the guns they held in their hands at the crew of the mortars, but did no injury. The The secession officers were fired at in Pillow was being evacuated. Several turn by our men from the Mound City, explosions were heard, as from the and one of them is said to have been bursting of shells from the works on killed. The Van Dorn was evidently the river, and the camp on the heights disgusted with her part of the perform- was apparently enveloped in flames. The ance, and was about to seek the more next morning the fleet was set in motion, congenial moorings under the shadow of and, the rams leading the way, a party Fort Pillow. Before going, however, of soldiers was soon landed, and the flag she intended to pay her last tribute of of the Union raised on the deserted fort. affection to the Mound City, but our ves- The operations of General Halleck besel gave her a broadside that knocked fore Corinth, and the evacuation of that off a few bales of cotton, and compelled place, had compelled the withdrawal of her to drop away. The Benton gave the Confederate forces from their advanher a parting salute as she went in a tageous position at Fort Pillow. greatly crippled condition around the works, which had been a year in conPoint, having been preceded by the six struction, were found to be of the most rebel gunboats which, with the exception extensive and formidable character, evof the McRae, had taken little part in ery available point of the high bluff, the action. The enemy can place but from the river edge to the summit, havlittle faith in their gunboats, and this ing been fortified and supplied with powmorning they depended entirely on their erful batteries, while the bend of the rams, believing, no doubt, they could river brought any opposing fleet close sink the whole flotilla. Our total loss under their fire. Many of the guns was four men wounded, Captain Roger were of the heaviest calibre, so that it N. Stembel, dangerously; Reynolds, was impossible to remove them in the fourth Master, dangerously shot through retreat, and they were consequently the abdomen; W. M. Mosier, seaman, of spiked or exploded, and the carriages Oswego, formerly of the 24th New York burnt on the spot. A 120-pound rifled Volunteers, slightly in the left thigh, all gun had been burst, among others of less of the gunboat Cincinnati; and John size. A large quantity of camp equipO'Brien, seaman, of the Mound City, age, supplies and materials of war, had slightly in the left arm with musket been destroyed. There was little left of ball.' 11 The rebel loss was doubtless value. The troops had passed down the heavy. A correspondent of the Mem- river in transports, in company with the phis Appeal stated it at eight killed and rebel fleet, in the direction of Memphis. sixteen wounded. Thither they were at once pursued, the flag-ship Benton leading the way at noon, followed by the other vessels of the squadron. The Union flag was raised at Fort Randolph, twelve miles below, by Lieutenant-Colonel Ellet from the ram fleet which held the advance. The place was found entirely abandoned, the last of the rebel gunboats having left an hour or two before. The guns had been dismantled, and some piles of cotton were burning. "The people," reported Colonel Ellet to Secretary Stanton, "express a desire for the restoration of the old order of things, though still profess After this action, the flotilla occupied a nearer position to the enemy's works, and, having been joined by Colonel Charles Ellet, with a fleet of rams which he had constructed under authority of the Secretary of War, was preparing to press the attack more vigorously, when, on the evening of the 4th of June, it was fully ascertained from the reports of deserters, the observations of a reconnoitring land party on the Arkansas shore, and other indications, that Fort *Correspondence, New York Tribune, Flotilla, near Fort Pillow, May 10, 1862. |